BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld took seventh place ahead of Canadian team mate Jacques Villeneuve, the 1997 world champion who won at Silverstone in 1996 and in his title year.

CONTROLLED

Alonso, on pole position for the fourth race in a row, led the field through the first corner and controlled the race through to the chequered flag.

Raikkonen and Schumacher followed closely to the first pitstop when they lost ground and the 37-year-old German then got ahead of the Finn after the second stop for tyres and fuel.

Schumacher's brother Ralf had less to smile about, his race over before he had even completed a lap.

Toro Rosso's American rookie Scott Speed nudged Ralf's slow-starting Toyota and the German then steered across the track, hitting Australian Mark Webber's Williams broadside and shunting both out of the race.

Stewards said they would investigate the incident.

Briton Jenson Button's miserable home weekend fizzled out after 10 laps when he pulled over as flames flared from his car's Honda engine.

The only Englishman in the race had lined up a dismal 19th of 22 starters after what he bluntly described as a qualifying 'balls-up' on Saturday.

"It's massively disappointing. It was going well, the car was feeling good," said Button. "We deserved a lot more. It's not all bad luck, though. We need to improve in certain areas."

"I braked going into the corner, saw lots of smoke in the mirrors and that was it," he added."

Toyota's Italian Jarno Trulli also had an afternoon to forget, finishing 11th and still searching for his first point of the season.